WESTFIELD – A 26-year-old man was arrested and charged with armed robbery within 10 minutes after he allegedly approached a clerk at the Rite Aid Store at 7 East Silver St., said he had a gun and demanded money.

Craig C. Knowlton, 26, of 3 Shepard St., apartment 2, pleaded innocent to the charge of armed robbery in Westfield District Court Monday. He is being held on $5,000 cash bail and a pre-trial conference was set for Aug. 13, according to a court clerk.

Knowlton is being accused of entering the store at about 7:15 p.m. Saturday wearing gloves in the 90 degree weather. He asked the clerk for a pen and then proceeded to write a note demanding money, which he then passed to the clerk, Police Capt. Michael McCabe said.

After stealing an undisclosed amount of case, the man ran out of the store and the clerk phoned police.

“There were cruisers in the area and one (officer) noticed a guy matching the description,” he said. “The guy took off when we saw him.”

Police quickly apprehended Knowlton and arrested him. He was carrying the same amount of cash that was stolen from the store, McCabe said.